But Fremantle has not quite closed the door to Port Adelaide’s hopes for top four. The Dockers host the Power in round 23 for a game destined to be a battle for fourth spot.

Advertisement

Coach Ross Lyon appeared upbeat during the week after his side’s two-point loss to the Cats, so he would be ecstatic with the showing against the Hawks, especially in the second half.

After a goal shootout in the opening two terms, the Dockers were able to close Hawthorn down after the main break, conceding just 2.2 after half-time – and ending a run of six consecutive losses to the reigning premier since the 2010 elimination final.

Only eight of the Dockers that took the field on Sunday had played in a win against the Hawks, but many more remembered the 15-point loss in last year’s grand final.

The 20 goals that were kicked to half-time was one more than that kicked in total during last year’s premiership play-off.

But while it was the Dockers that cost themselves in front of goal on the last Saturday in September last year, it was Hawthorn’s radar that was a bit off on Sunday.

The Hawks dominated the opening term, going forward 15 times to the Dockers five. However, five consecutive points kept Fremantle in the contest.

Uncharacteristic ill-discipline in the opening term cost the Dockers, with Nat Fyfe the main culprit.

Luke Hodge kicked the Hawks’ third goal after the star Fremantle midfielder took him to ground after marking, giving him a 50-metre penalty.

Fyfe may also face the match review panel for a behind-the-play incident that left Hawk Jordan Lewis on the ground.

Hodge’s goal was the first of two Fyfe gifted the Hawks in the opening term. The second came after he took his tag Will Langford high, 50 metres from the action, while the Dockers were kicking in from a Hawthorn behind.

It resulted in Paul Puopolo having a free shot at goal from the goal square just before the siren to give them a 13-point lead.

That was the first of four first-half goals from the boot of Puopolo.

With Jarryd Roughead missing due to suspension, the Hawks needed others to step up and kick goals. The Hawks had 10 players who had shots on goal in the first half and seven of them had kicked majors.

Fremantle also needed someone to stand up in attack, with its leading scorer this season, Hayden Ballantyne, a late withdrawal due to a hamstring injury.

That leadership came from skipper Mathew Pavlich, who kicked two goals in the second term, when the Dockers got back into the game. He hadn’t kicked a goal in the previous two games, against Carlton and Geelong, so his five goals was significant.

His second goal for the quarter, at the 14-minute mark, levelled the scores.

The Dockers completely turned the game on its head in the second term, going forward 23 times for the quarter to the Hawks 10.

It took more than 13 minutes for the Hawks to get the ball inside their forward 50 in the third term. By that time Pavlich had kicked his fourth goal and Stephen Hill’s second goal had given the Dockers a 13-point lead.

Fremantle settled into its defensive best after the break. Michael Johnson controlled the contest from half-back, and he linked up well with Hill, Michael Barlow and David Mundy and they set up a 19-point lead at the last change.

The scoring options dried up for the Hawks, however, who added just 1.2 for the term from only six jaunts forward.